LITTLE ROCK — A 43-year-old Coal Hill man walking on a trail beside Horsehead Creek in west-central Johnson County was fatally shot Wednesday by a man who mistook him for a deer, according to the Johnson County sheriff’s office.
The shooter called 911, and the county’s deputy coroner later pronounced Thomas Edward Sears dead at the scene, a news release from the sheriff’s office stated. The shooting occurred about 12:15 p.m. Wednesday.
Sears’ body was sent to the state Crime Laboratory for autopsy, the news release stated.
Sears was walking on a trail along Horsehead Creek off County Road 3151, according to the news release. Sheriff Jimmy Dorney said the trail is near the Franklin County line about a mile north of Interstate 40.
The release stated that the shooter, identified by Dorney as a man in his 50s, was sitting in a swing in the backyard of his home at 3724 County Road 3151 when he saw movement in the woods. Thinking it was a deer, he got a .30-30-caliber rifle and fired one shot at the movement, which was about 150 yards away, according to the release.
After firing the shot, he and a witness heard a yell, the release stated. The man and the witness went to investigate and found Sears lying on the trail. Dorney said Sears had been shot in the upper back.
The shooting is being investigated by the sheriff’s office, the Arkansas State Police and the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, Dorney said. No arrests had been made as of Thursday afternoon.
Sears wasn’t carrying a gun and not wearing hunter-safety clothing, according to the release. Dorney said he did not know why Sears was in the woods.
He cautioned anyone venturing into the woods during deer-hunting season to take the precaution of wearing bright-colored clothing even if they are not hunting.
Arkansas, Pages 20 on 11/30/2012